A Long-Lost Symphony
by raffiflaaffy
Summary: When times were hard, Riley played with the villagers in her favorite town. Then one day, she never returned- until the summer before going away to college. She decides to pay a final visit to the place that she always went to as a kid. But when her furry friends randomly elect her as mayor, she finds the only part of her childhood she has left is deteriorating in the falling town.
1. Prologue

Hey peeps! ^^ First of all, thank you for clicking in and I _really_ hope you enjoy my short-story!  
I'm super excited to be doing my first ( **serious** ) Animal Crossing fan fiction!

But first things first, I'd like to clarify a few things before we get started:

( **1** ) Riley is an OC, _not_ me. 0:) And this story will be written in her POV.  
( **2** ) I **fully** understand that I do (and will continue to) have plot-holes in here. Questions such as how she  
gets into and out of the Animal Crossing world, and what has happened between certain time  
periods are sure to arise. But rest assured, all of this mystery is part of the story.  
( **3** ) Yes, it's _supposed_ to be subtle and my focus is on the experience itself rather than the background,  
at least for the mean-time! All questions are set to be answered in a **prequel** and a **sequel**.

 _Anddd_ , that's it! Thanks for listening in (if you did, hehe). **Ciao** _~ **!**_

* * *

 **A Long-Lost Symphony  
** _Prologue_

* * *

Growing up is hard. _Really_ hard.

As children, we were excited to become adults. We looked up to our mom and dad, so unsure yet so excited about the world. We even looked at the older kids in school, constantly wanting to be in their footsteps, thinking: "Wow, I can't wait to be one of them."

Then, before you know it, you're getting ready to leave the place that you were always so familiar with. And suddenly, you're thinking about what you want to do and, frankly, what you _need_ to do for the rest of your life, really.

The easy part is over, and well, let's just say that recess doesn't exist in the real world. This is all serious business at this point. All you have left of your childhood are memories of what once was.

If there's anything that I've learned, the only thing that I can say for sure is that life is a constant struggle. There's no time machine. There's no turning back. There's no stopping. Life doesn't come with a pause button, especially not for you. It doesn't matter how high or low you are in your point of life, because the Earth will keep turning and the days will still become night — with or without you.

You know, I always thought that the older you got, the more you had it together — the more you knew what you were doing, really. But you know what? That couldn't be any more wrong. You may _think_ that you have it all together, and you can try to tell yourself that you do. But in reality, we're more confused than we've ever been, except now, it starts to feel like you're even more on your own.

Whenever I was sad, I used to run away, and find peace in something away from all the uncertainties. When life treated me badly, I sought comfort in those who — not necessarily needed to understand me, but rather — took me away from my worries and fears, and made me forget what I was even upset about in the first place.

But, well, I can't do that anymore. Sadly, it's not that easy. I'm "grown-up" now, and I can't go back to those times that I had when I was little and wanted to just get away. Even if it's just a day.

…Or, _can I_?

* * *

Okay, yeah, that's it! Haha! Chapter one will be longer, I promise! Also, **BIG** favor! I ask that whether you like any of my chapters or not, I _really_ encourage you to reach out to me and shoot up a review so that I may better serve you based on the feedback/constructive criticism. :)


	2. Chapter One: Night Train to Nowhere

**Yo** there! Gonna make this short, buuuut  
thanks for sticking around for the first chapter!  
More to come very, _very_ soon. :D

* * *

 **A Long-Lost Symphony  
** _Chapter One: Night Train to Nowhere_

* * *

" _Hey!_ "

A voice called out, to which I immediately responded to. But not just any voice; there was a certain familiarity to it. I glanced around, scanning the area, but saw nobody to match the sound. I then found myself combing through the hundreds of people whom — such as I — were donned in long, navy blue gowns, searching to and fro like a child. Looking for my mom was like looking for a needle in a haystack. I clutched my diploma and matching colored cap tightly, still trying to follow the voice that I swear I thought I just heard.

"Over here, Riley!"

And there it was. My attention piqued once again, searching a little harder this time — like playing a game of hot or cold. But then I finally found her, and it was when we met eyes that we really started running.

"Oh, honey you did so great up there! I'm so proud of you!" She practically came flying towards me, taking me into her arms as she squeezed them tightly around me. It felt comforting, and safe — one of few things that I felt truly sure about all day.

And frankly, what a day it's been. I honestly never thought that a salutatorian's commencement speech would be terribly difficult. You say what you feel (rather, the things you put together into words the night before) and then when you're done, you watch people applaud for you. Some even come up to you afterwards and personally commend you. People say it's such a surreal, very compelling sort of feeling. But why didn't _I_ feel it?

"Thanks mom." I was finally able to tell her above her reverie. "So, what now?"

"To your graduation dinner, of course!" My mother's chocolate brown eyes gleamed simply at the thought as we walked arm in arm together, away from the crowd.

I didn't really ask for much. If anything, all I wanted as Chinese take-out to enjoy in an intimate setting — at home. But my mom insisted that we brought the whole family; most of which actually didn't even make it until after the ceremony was done.

Nonetheless, I could only think of my room while I sat along yet another throng of inquisitive people while trying to stomach my food. Questions arose such as "what are you doing this summer?" and "where are you going to college?" flew across the table and I found myself answering the same things all night.

"Oh totally, the campus is really pretty."

"I know, living in a dorm is going to be different, but I know it'll be fun."

"Yeah, I'm driving up there for orientation in about three weeks."

By the end of the hour, I was getting pretty sick of it. I didn't even hear how monotonous I was, but surely felt it. I practically sounded like an answering machine on replay.

"So, Riley!" Another question came from a family friend, who attempted to get my attention with an angled raise of her fork. "Have you thought about what you were going do in college?"

And _that's_ when it struck a chord — the question that I was really hoping nobody would bring up. My face must have been deadpan, because I felt everything stop at that very moment. I swallowed heavily.

"Umm… Well, I… actually, I wasn't sure quite yet." I could practically feel sweat forming in my palms. I looked down once in hopes that it would help regain my sense of sanity — it didn't. "I kind of hoped to, you know, figure it out… o-once I got there."

"Isn't that a little too long, deary?" I cringed upon hearing such an awful pet name. "Don't you want to decide now before it's too late?"

"W-Well… I…" This was what I was afraid of.

And as if it wasn't bad enough, the words still kept on coming. "And gee, if you don't think about it now, what if you never really 'figure it out'? There's so much we need to do in so little time, you know! In four years, you've really got to start getting yourself out there. I'm just saying, because—"

I couldn't take it anymore. I didn't even care if she was done. And it was then that I did something that I didn't expect myself to do. I stood up from the table, biting my lip as I felt the tears try to fight their way out from behind my eyes. I opened my mouth, as if to say something, but all I could feel at that moment was panic. And I did the first thing I could think of — which was to run back home.

"Riley!"

"Where are you going!?"

"Come back!"

I ignored the fervent, constant pleas they made for me to return. After all, they were only concerned because they saw the way that I reacted. Otherwise, would they have cared?

But there was no time to think about it. All I had that was level-headed in my mind was a sense of direction, and that was towards the place that made me the safest.

I still felt myself choking in the back of my throat as I frantically reached for my house keys, in hopes that I could at least make it in before anyone else could spot me. Afterwards, I darted straight for my room and I locked the door. And what then followed would be my first — and only — sigh of relief for the day.

Some time had passed; to what extent, I didn't know. But what I did know for sure that I was hiding in the dark for much too long. It was only then that I decided to curl into my blanket when I felt the presence of somebody else at home. It must've been mom, having just come back and gone straight up the stairs to the place where she know she'd find me because I heard that her keys were still in her hand.

"Hey, sweetie, can I come in?" A knock came and her muffled voice followed from behind the door as she said this with concern.

"Mm…" I called out incoherently, still beneath my sheets but having taken them with me as I unlocked the door and creaked it open lightly.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?" She saw through my tear-stained, puffy eyes that tried so desperately to hide beneath the fabric donned over my head.

I couldn't even speak. All I could do was nod lightly, even though we both knew that that was a lie. She sat both of us together on my bed as she tried to meet my eyes.

"Riley, I know that this has been really hard for you. But you know that what she said wasn't to hurt you. I'm sure she was just curious." She patted me on the back as she told me this. Sighing once, she tucked away a strand of my hair behind my ear before continuing once more.

"Tell you what, it's been a long day. I'll leave you to it for tonight, and we can talk about this more tomorrow." Her smile was contagious, and I couldn't help but try hard to return it, even though I had to fight it a little. "It'll be okay, honey."

And after a final hug, she kissed me once on the forehead and I heard her footsteps fade in the distance.

I sighed, reaching around my bed for a pillow that I could tightly clutch on to. Clumsily, I felt it fall to the ground below my bed, and I tried to find it with my hand. But instead, my eyes widened at the feeling of a hard-covered spiral notebook. "W… What the…?"

"It can't be…" I got out of the covers a lot quicker than I should have, immediately turning on a light and peeking underneath my bed.

Upon picking it up, I blew the dust off carefully and flipped through the pages quickly, until I found the last, where a small stack of pictures stuck out slightly. I picked them up and gazed at them as a wave of nostalgia began hitting back at me. I haven't seen these since I was a child.

Below me were images that instantly gave me flashbacks of happier times. I was included in a majority of them, standing side-by-side with a group of smiling faces behind what most people would say were "just animals." Deep inside, however, I know they were more than that — they were my friends, and they were real.

My eyes swelled in an overflowing stream of tears as I continually leafed through the same pictures over and over again, gazing at them longingly as all kinds of memories came crashing through like a tidal wave. In the back of my mind, I was starting to clearly remember a time when I really, truly felt happy. I missed them.

At times of both happiness and sadness, I found myself in a sanctuary where I knew I was safe from anything and everything. And it was when I felt in my heart, it's what I was missing all along — a piece of the past that still hasn't faded away.

Or, has it?

"Hmm… I wonder…" I muttered aloud, staring straight ahead as a flurry of questions flew into my head. "Only one way to find out."

And without even thinking, my mind went straight for my closet. In a fit, I found a small bag and started throwing out some articles of clothing, among other essential things.

I looked around in a bit of a hurry, finding my notebook and flipping through an empty page as I ripped it out and started quickly penning out what would be a note to my mom. Was I really about to do this?

 _I can't stop now_ , I was starting to say to myself. _I have to do this._

In a messy scrawl, I mentioned to her that there was no need to worry and that I was going to go someplace where I can think — a place to get away. In truth, I wasn't sure when I was going to return, but I told her that there was something that I really needed to do. And when I felt I was finished, I folded it in half and placed it on my bed.

Then, I took one last look at my bedroom before shutting the door and making my way out.

* * *

I was walking for what felt like hours. When I finally found my destination, I finally took a breather and sat down on a nearby bench. I slumped down on it, grabbing tightly at my belongings. It was dark, and eerily quiet. A single florescent light flickered on and off, and a slight wind was picking up, causing the nearby signs to creak noisily as it wobbled about. I scanned around the area, and figured it was already late, as I was the only one here.

I heaved a small sigh as I played with my fingers, only to be quickly caught off guard by heavy quaking beneath the ground. I rose to my feet instantly, looking all around until I spotted a faint light glowing bigger and brighter the faster that it came.

My hair flew in all directions as a small chain of locomotives slowed to a complete stop in front of me, the brightly lit cars practically empty at this late hour. I stepped on to the nearest door of the train, my heart racing.

I took a seat by a window, in hopes that memory still served me correctly and I could spot the town that I knew and loved, like in the pictures.

And so I tried — unsuccessfully — to fight the need to sleep, only to awaken and find that it was now the crack of dawn. A slight tinge of bright yellow gleamed beneath a deep blue sky, welcoming a new day. I thought about mom and wondered if she was awake by now and if she'd found me missing. But I shoved that matter aside when I heard a garbled voice come on to the intercom.

"Excuse me, excuse me." The speakers boomed as practically incoherent words sounded from it. "This is the last stop, I repeat, this is the last stop. Please exit the vehicle."

"Wait…" I gasped lightly and sat up immediately, seeing the empty car and the doors of all sides open before me. "H-Hey! Wait a minute!"

"Ma'am, please exit the vehicle." The voice repeated in the same fashion.

I sighed, knowing that there was nothing I could do at this point. With my belongings in tow, I stepped out of the train and walked into the station as the locomotive disappeared from sight.

I took note of the significant damage — water dripping from above the ceiling, rusted railroad tracks, metal laced in cobwebs — possibly from wear and tear, or maybe even poor maintenance. I tried to find a map of the stops, only to find that anything previously legible had either been smudged out or had gone all but faded.

As I approached the exit, I found that there was nobody to greet me like in other stations, nor were indications of visitors in a long while. I felt so unsure of where I was; hiding inside my hoodie never felt safer to me.

Walking rather slowly now, I eyed similar surroundings all around as I stepped out, seeing the sun start to peek out from below the horizon. I squinted and hovered a hand above my forehead, looking ahead. I wasn't quite sure of where I was, let alone how far away I was from home. But with little to work with, I could only assume that I had to kill some time before the next train were to come.

I knew it was early, so it was quite possible that the townspeople weren't even awake yet. Although, I suppose there's no harm in trying anyway.

Down the small steps of the station, I was brought out to a gray cobblestone path laid around the vicinity. To my right was a worn, wooden board where it looked as if papers once belonged there. To the left was an old level crossing that blocked out to a slight up-hill area.

Considering the conditions, I was starting to believe the chilling thought that I may have been the only one in the small town. Still, there was no sense in giving up, for there was still the question of what time another train was going to arrive.

I walked along a path of dried soil where a building stood due west of where I arrived from. Judging by its looks, it appeared to be the area's town hall, although it looked as if it hadn't been used in years.

I sadly turned away as I lay my eyes upon a larger cobblestone area. In its center was a single square-shaped area with the appearance of a flower bed where dirt lay.

There was a slight chill in the air, and my arms crossed tightly along my chest as I took a seat on the square of bricks and dirt, thinking hard at the thought of what to do next.

And it was when I got comfortable that I found out that I wasn't alone, hearing the sound of pattering footsteps along mushy grass. My first instinct was to hide and to not be spotted, but also, another part of me felt that I should make some sort of communication with somebody around here. Maybe then they could tell me where I am.

I felt my heart jump to my throat, rubbing my eyes as I wondered if I was dreaming. For it was at that moment that I came across what appeared to be a teddy bear who had a jagged purple line along his orange head. He bore multi-colored ears and arms. His eyes — or lack thereof? — were simply two x's, making it hard to tell whether he really spotted me or not. His smile was small, and he didn't seem like he was there to cause harm.

" _Ah!_ " A scream came from the small cub, the frightened expression on its face eminent as he appeared taken aback at the sight of somebody new to him in front of him. "Oh… Who are you?"

I wasn't sure how to respond, even though I knew what he asked of me. I drew in a sharp breath. "Well, my name's… Riley. I'm not from around here. I… Um… You see, the train… It stopped me over here and I'm not sure where I am so if I could just—"

"Hold on a second!" The bear exclaimed in realization. "I know who you are!"

"Y-You do?" I asked, my mouth agape.

"Oh, yes!" He squealed, his expression not too far off from mine. "You're the new mayor!"

And then, as if there were a sound of a record scratching, I frowned slightly. "Wait… What?"

The cub didn't seem to mind my confusion, for he went into a state of confusion and slightly panic, looking around before turning back to me. A hand pointed straight at me as he spoke. "I've got to tell everybody in town, pronto! Oh, wait until they hear this!"

"Wait! You have the wrong person!" My hands shook about. I wasn't even sure exactly how to react, but before I could even think, the little bear had gone off to another direction screaming quite loudly in a sense of urgency.

"Come back!" I screamed once more, trying to find where the teddy bear went.

"Guys, guys! Wake up!" His faint voice could be heard from the distance, and so I kept running. "The mayor's here! Our mayor! She's finally here!"

"Oh no…" I hid my head in my hands. This was going off into a bad start…

* * *

 _Welp._ Hope that was a good start. Thanks again for dropping by. 'Til next time! :)


	3. Chapter Two: Stitching Things Up

Hey again! Thanks for the support. :)  
Heeeereeee's chapter two, coming your way. ~

* * *

 **A Long-Lost Symphony**  
 _Chapter Two: Stitching Things Up_

* * *

"No, noooo… This can't be happening." I sighed exasperatedly, both hands above my head as I began to pace. This certainly wasn't the kind of reaction that I was expecting to see. If anything, I almost rather he took off running at first sight.

With no place to escape, all that I could think to do was to follow him. After a little while, however, I was stopped dead on my tracks at the sight of two other animals walking towards me now, their wide-eyed expressions bearing similarly surprised faces.

"That's her!" The same bear that I confronted earlier referred to me. Ah yes, _me_. But what exactly was so special about me? Surely, this must be a mistake, right?

"Is she a human?" One murmured from within the small crowd. "I've never seen one before!"

"I only knew of one, but she disappeared and never came back!" The other gossiped to their companion, the most dramatic look on their face.

I was starting to look like a specimen to these animals — definitely parallel in comparison to the human world. But more importantly, if I heard it right, then the little bear started shouting these false hopes of me being their mayor. No, I needed to get out of this.

"Wait, guys. This is all a misunderstanding." I chastised after quickly getting their undivided attention. "I'm not—"

"No need to apologize!" exclaimed a plump, green penguin beating aviator headgear and a beige vest, his arms crossed at the sides. "You're here now, and that's what's important!"

"Um…" Standing here was really beginning to make me feel like I was slowly sinking to the ground. The crowd of animals went into a frantic frenzy of thinking about what to do. All I could do was wait, because they weren't listening to me. I cleared my throat rather loudly, waiting for them all to turn back to me. "Look, I'm really sorry. I'd love to help you all, but… I'm lost. I'm actually just trying to find a town that I used to go when I was little, and the train took me here and now I can't find it."

"Oh…"

I saw their desponded looks. They had gotten their hopes up so high, only to be crushed immensely, by me.

"Please, I don't mean to disturb you folks. I just really need to know when the next train is coming, or at least where I am."

"Well, what was the town called, kitty cat?" offered the black cat that stood a bit behind the cub and the penguin. Her eyes were a pale yellow that lit up behind her dark pupils. She had long, pointed ears and a black-and-gray striped tail.

"I'm really sorry about that…" The teddy bear interjected, referring to the previous ordeal. Not that I was mad, just incredibly confused.

"It's alright." I smiled back at the apologetic cub before I returned to digging through my thoughts, pondering deeply at an idea of any sort of familiarity associated with my memories. Although I started to come up empty, and a deep sigh followed after. _Yikes_. Guess it really has been a while.

"Don't remember?" asked the feline, eyeing the expression that I bore on my face. "Can you at least describe it?"

And that's when it hit me. _The pictures_. I immediately had an 'aha' moment and reached in to my bag, pulling out the photographs from my notebook — the very reason for my leaving home in the first place. Everybody started to draw closer as I slowly went through them.

"I really don't remember the name of the town for some reason, but here's what it looked like." I looked around and made quick glances to see if they were done before going through the next one. While I slowly viewed them to the small group, they stayed rather quiet — a reaction that I feared was coming. That was, until the cat's eyes widened and she nearly jumped back in surprise.

"Wait a minute!" She cried. "T-That's me!"

" _What!?_ " And now nearly everybody was taken aback — myself included.

The feline silently asked if she could take another look at the previous photo that left us all confused, and I handed it over to her unhesitatingly. She held it out for everyone to see, pointing at a picture where a younger me was knelt down petting a dark gray kitten, the latter whom was sprawled on her back and showed her teeth behind the smile.

"I swear to all that is good and mighty, that right there's little me!" She exclaimed, continually pointing. "I have pictures of me as a little kitten. It must be me, kitty cat! It has to be!"

I was frozen in place, unable to do much of anything except to repeatedly look at the picture and back at the cat. I don't exactly remember how long I was doing this for, but it was when I stopped and really thought back, I had come to the deep realization that she was right. It was all so clear now.

"Kiki?" I gasped, nearly dropping everything that I had in my hands.

She then met eyes with me, appearing as if an exclamation point shot up above her head. "That's… me, kitty cat."

"This… T-This is unbelievable." My hands to my mouth, feeling the tears from behind my eyes hit me quicker than a twister. I ran up to the feline straight away, and as we embraced, I could hear her soft, familiar purr sweetly fill my ears.

"It's me, Riley." I showed herself to me after we pulled away. "Except I'm not a little girl anymore."

"Wow, no kidding, kitty cat!" Kiki chuckled after taking a quick look up and down at me, as my own followed as well in her contagious laughter.

"But wait." The revelations and questions, alike, weren't quite finished. "If _you're_ here, then… does this mean…?"

We went straight for the photos once again, analyzing every little detail that we could, now, in hopes that we would be able to get a good explanation behind all of the madness.

"Look, look! See?" The teddy bear spoke up now, pointing at a different picture that seemed to stick out to him. "I know I haven't been here long but there's the town hall over there!"

"And this one has my house over there, human!" called out the penguin, referring to a small portion of the building shown in the image as he then gestured a hand over to a direction within earshot of where we were standing, spotting rather striking and surprising similarities between the then-and-now that we had in front of us. "I must not have lived here yet!"

"This is so weird!" I laughed lightly. "I guess I had the right place all along!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What's with all the noise over here, WHONK!?" A dark blue elephant revealed himself from a bit of a ways away. He had bright orange tips on his arms, feet and trunk. His emerald, paintbrush-tipped tail moved to and fro. It wasn't until he showed his smile that he suddenly became familiar to me.

"Axel!" I darted towards him upon remembering him.

" _Oof!_ " He seemed surprised as he felt me nearly slam onto him. It was apparent that he didn't know how to feel at that moment, simply patting me on the head. Judging by his reaction, it seems he may not have recalled who I was — if at least, not quite yet.

"Do you remember me?" I decided to ask him, looking up at him as I watched him scratch his head.

"Gee, I feel that I should…" He pondered rather guiltily, taking a good look at me. I dug through the photographs and pulled out one that I then proceeded to show him. In the image contained the same elephant standing before me — although maybe a tad shorter — and yet another younger me as we stood side-by-side; he really hadn't changed much. He then gasped upon recognition. "No… _way_ … Riley!?"

I nodded silently, grinning widely at his sudden shift in expression.

"But you're all grown up now, whonk!" Axel flexed an arm jokingly, to which I returned with the same gesture, and we immediately broke out into a fit of laughter, just like the old times. _The good times_. "Where've you been, bud? We missed you!"

I sheepishly rubbed a hand on the back of my head, looking away for a moment. "A lot, actually. I just graduated yesterday, actually, and I'm going up to college by the end of the month."

"College… Hm, that sounds cool." The elephant's eyes lit up as if a light-bulb spontaneously appeared above his head. I knew for a fact that none of the other animals knew exactly what it was, either. I had forgotten that I was used to other people in my life constantly asking me questions.

"I'm really sorry that it took me this long to come back." I apologized, sighing. "Life's been crazy, and different. At least from when I was still little."

"Definitely. I mean, wow, you're taller now!" Kiki beamed.

It was then that I also realized that it was a bit bad hard trying to explain to animals what life outside of this world was like. Living a simple life must be fantastic; I envy them. The obligations that I've had throughout my life, alone, are a tad too complex for explanation.

I decided to dismiss the thought, though, and focus on what was happening now. I found my old friends! Well, some of them, that is. I quickly came to the realization that the party wasn't quite complete, and half of this small group that was with me right now consisted of residents who weren't around when I wasn't.

Which then brought on another thought in mind…

"So, wait, where'd everybody else go?"

And as if on cue, the four grew silent. Had I struck a nerve?

"Well, about that …" The penguin softly began.

"You see, kitty cat, around the time you stopped visiting, times were starting to get, well, difficult." Kiki fiddled with her paws. This must have been hard on them all. "Mayor Tortimer was hitting a point of old age, which was starting to become really obvious with his health deteriorating and everything. And then, one day, he left us with the promise that a new mayor was coming. But we waited, and we waited… and, waited."

She had to pause before continuing, deeply sighing as her gaze remained fixated on the ground. "Nobody came, though. And with no mayor to lead the town, things started to fall apart. Shops were closing, villagers were leaving, and every day, we were getting more and more lost on what to do. We're the only ones left, kitty cat. We still have hope that we can keep this place alive, but…"

"That's why when I saw you, I thought there was still hope. That maybe, we were finally going to help the need that we've been needing." The teddy bear continued on for her. "Sorry about that again, stuffin."

I shook my head, letting him know that there was no need for an apology. If anything, I felt really bad. So much, that I wish there was something that I could do.

"I should be the one who's sorry." I gave them all an unsure look. "I really should've came back and checked up on you guys."

"There was nothing that you could do about losing our mayor." Axel chimed in, his head moving side-to-side in a similar matter. "Besides, none of this —" he gestured both arms in a circle, referring to the area surrounding us "— was your fault, whonk."

"Still." I heaved a deep sigh, staring up at the gray clouds looming above us before glancing around at the way the town looked. I thought back to the pictures that I showed everybody. This place was sprawling with life. It was such a booming fun place to be. But it really must have been a while since there's been any kind of help, let alone visitors, around here. It's no wonder that I could hardly recognize anything. Things were just so different now.

"Well, anything that I can do to help?" I asked, seeing the saddened faces of the animals then perk up slightly. I knew that they needed this, and I had to be the one to step up and do something about it and I had to do it now.

"Gee, stuffin. It's kind of hard to say." The bear cub said rather unsurely, just as the other three did. "Honestly, none of us here really know where to begin. We were so used to having a mayor that was in charge to take care of everything."

"True… I didn't think about that." I tapped my finger against my chin. They made a good point. If they knew what to do, then chances are, they would've probably been able to do something to fix things back up again. This was proving to be quite a feat to have to get over.

"Man… Where to begin?" The thought of practically having to start an entire town from scratch was beginning to feel like an overwhelming kind of obligation. My head was reeling. I looked around at these animals who, just earlier, wanted to put their entire faith in me. I knew for a fact, though, that there had to be something — anything at all — that I have to do for them all.

"Actually, here's a thought." I raised a finger, clasping my hands as I took individual glances at them. "Is there a way to get into the town hall?"

Without any reply, I quickly thought to investigate, and off I went, walking over with four furry friends in tow. We all stared up at the long-abandoned building, then taking a quick glance at the door. I took a hold of the knob, which made a loud creak before clicking in place, indicating that it was looked. _Darn_.

Each of us then took a different approach and split up, looking all around through every nook and cranny, trying to determine where to find our way in.

"Well, if I were a key, where would I be?" I asked aloud as I walked up closer to the door, tapping a foot at the ground continually. I frowned slightly, stopping for a moment at the feeling of a surface that my feet were on, but it didn't quite feel like gravel. "What in the world?"

I glanced down, taken aback at the sight of a rough, scratchy nylon doormat. I scraped my feet upon it a few times, seeing how slippery it was.

 _Don't tell me_ , I thought to myself.

Only one foot stayed on the mat now, and I slid it off to the side with ease. What followed was a small cloud of dust and the appearance of a small, metal key.

"Oh, Tortimer." I chuckled, picking up the key and readjusting the mat. "What a card."

I called the four back to the entryway as I inserted the key right into the hole of the knob, turning once before the door swung open. It was dark, almost eerie, in fact. My hand felt around the wall for a switch, and when it found one, I flipped it open and saw a dimly flickering light slowly, and only slightly, illuminate the building.

"Whoa." I looked all around in fascination. This town hall must have been standing tall for a number of years, well before I even first came here. Antique wooden furniture dressed the small area, where a set of two desks laid parallel from one another. I walked over to the first one, seeing a large mess of papers and folders in nearly illegible writing.

"It's very dusty in here!" Kiki called out, holding an arm above her mouth as she sneezed shortly afterwards. "Ah-CHOO!"

"Man, how long has it been since this has been used?" pondered Axel.

The animals all stayed rather close to me as I searched around. I went up to the second desk now, spotting a vintage, rotary dial phone. Adjacent to that was an old computer, and several stacks of more paper. It must have been a common occurrence to do paperwork on the daily.

I glanced down and blew a few bits of the neighboring the dust away, where a steel-plated nametag was engraved with Mayor Tortimer's name. As I read this, I looked up and saw a rather large, framed self-portrait of him situated along the back wall above a large cabinet, where a number of plaques and smaller frames stood. To its left was an incredibly tall bookcase filled to the brim with hardcover books. While I continued to look around, I laughed at the thought of our own mayor being rather full of himself.

"Well, what do we do now?" asked the penguin, who seemed to be playing with the stapler found on one of the desks.

"Hmm, don't know…"

I took a seat on the tall, black leather chair in the back of the second desk, dusting it off before I did. With joined hands, I sat them on the table in front of me as I faced them all.

"Wow, you're really starting to look like a mayor now, human," chuckled the bird jokingly, as a few heads seemed to nod in agreement to the thought.

"Slow your roll, guys." I held my hands up. "I don't think I can do that."

"But why not?" asked Kiki as her pointed ears faced downwards slightly. "You'd be perfect for the job, kitty cat."

I crossed my arms as I eyed her a funny look. "What makes you say that?"

"You know, I think she's right, whonk!" Axel seemed to beam as he said this. "I can't exactly say for sure, but ever since you first came here, I always kind of had a feeling that you'd do something big for this town."

I turned over to the remaining two, who simply shrugged. It was the only thing they could do, really, as it was our first time meeting.

However, the teddy bear cleared his throat before saying, "Well. I know it sounds strange. But, something _does_ tell me that were quite well-known when you were still here. And on top of being missed, there's a sort of impression that you left on some villagers here. I mean, just look at Kiki and Axel, and you'll see what I mean."

"But, guys, I'm not a leader." I looked down, knowing in my heart that this was true. "I'm not made to handle a responsibility as huge as being mayor. I mean, wow, it'd be an honor and all but I just, wouldn't want to let you all down."

They all turned and look over at each other. The penguin held a hand up as he spoke. "Being a leader isn't all about having a lot of authority, you know. It means wanting to make change, and using just the right amount of strength in order to help other people. Because in the end, what a mayor wants to do is to do things for others."

"Well, I guess when you put it _that_ way..." I pondered, only to shrug again shortly afterwards. I was still unsure of my capability to handle this kind of thing. "But, I really don't know. What if I'm not sure of what to do? Or I don't know. I'd love to help but. I can't stay forever and—"

"Please?" The teddy bear asked, sadly looking up at me. No sooner did everyone make their own separate attempts to repeat his actions.

I knew what they were trying to do. I also knew full well that I could help them. In what ways? I wasn't quite sure yet. But knowing that they've waited this long and still be able to keep some faith? It'd be wrong for me not to at least give it a shot. As for the details — such as when I'm coming back to the real world, and what to do beyond that — those can be worked out. After all, I've got a whole summer to make this happen.

I drew in a breath. "Okay… I'll do it."

"Whooooooo!"

"Yay!"

I gasped a little at the uproar. The four of them then shared quick glances before reverting their attention back to me.

"Ready?"

"Set?"

"GOOOOOOO!"

And in another shocking turn, they collectively pulled a small item from their pockets. The small, striped paper toy had a long string at its end, which they then pulled, causing the entirety of it to pop, sending a small flurry of confetti and streamers flying out as it covered the old desk. Startled, I let out a bit of a scream.

"Geez, where did those come from?" I sheepishly asked. Surely I wasn't deserving of any kind of festivities.

"This actually has been in my pocket for a couple of years, whonk!" Axel said this as he started breaking into a roaring applause that everybody quickly joined into.

The penguin let out a joyous laugh. "I'm surprised that this thing still worked, human!"

And as the clamor died out, I ran a hand over my head as I removed the sparkle and glitter that found its way into my hair. I felt elated at the flow of support that I was getting from these animals, even though I know that they needed this badly.

"Really, guys, this is too much." I assured them. "But thank you, all. I don't exactly know what's in store, but I know for a fact that I really want to restore this town back to the way it was before all of this."

"Couldn't have said it any better, kitty cat." Kiki warmly commemorated. It felt as if everything I had to say was realer than the words I told to hundreds just yesterday in a crowded stadium. "We're confident that you'll find a way!"

I sighed a breath of both relief and also that of realization — it was crunch time. And so I stretched out my arms, rubbing my hands together. "Now, where to begin?"

"We believe in you, Riley!" The little cub exclaimed.

"—So much, that we'll even step out for a while and let you do your stuff, kitty cat!" The feline intruded, stepping in front of him. She then turned over at them all. "I'm sure that our _mayor_ will need some quiet time in order to think better of what exactly there is to do! Come on, guys."

And in a quiet, collective murmur in agreement, they all took the time to say their momentary goodbye before closing the door to the town hall and I was the only one left. _Time to get to work._

I rotated in place on the large executive chair, pondering and brainstorming. I even tried to take out a pen and paper in case anything popped up. But, if I could be truthful, coming up with the first step was always the hardest part. It's the foundation of it all, and if not well thought-out, it could make everything crumble before it.

I didn't know what I was getting myself into. At least, I wasn't aware that it was going to be this difficult.

My head was reeling. Seconds turned into minutes. Then those minutes became hours. And before I knew it, time was going by but I was still coming up empty on ideas.

I wanted to rip my hair off. I rubbed furiously at my temples as I stared at the blank sheet of paper. All I could hear was the ticking of the clock and my heart pounding on my chest. I slammed my forehead against the desk.

"Ugh…" I groaned loudly, a hand over my face. _Why is this so hard?_

It wasn't until I heard the door swing open when I broke out of my fit of aggravation. I looked up at the same penguin walk right in, coming towards my desk.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't hear you come in." I sat back up, attempting to not make it so obvious of what I was doing earlier.

"Hey, mayor!" I really needed to start getting used to that. "How's it going? Got anything coming along?"

There was no point in lying to him.

"Nothing…" I admitted with an unsure expression on my face, exhaling sharply as I crossed my arms. When we caught each other's gaze, I looked over at him apologetically.

"Don't get yourself down there, human!" He reassured, waddling over so that we know faced each other eye-to-eye, as if we were having a personal conference. "Starting out is always the hardest part."

I sighed. "No kidding…"

"Well, let's think about it this way," a flipper on his chin as he said this. "What can we do to make the town sustainable again?"

"Don't think I know what you mean." I frowned slightly in thought.

"In other words, human, what's gonna make this place livable?"

I hadn't really thought about it that way. But he had a good thing starting there.

"When I think about it, actually, Kiki was talking about how businesses went down. What exactly caused it? I surely don't know. But if I could be realistic, then maybe that's what drove away all of the villagers here. With no income, there's no shops. And with no shops, there's no money being made. And without money, there's no way to keep anything up. So in other words, in order to get some money flowing back in, we should set up a business here."

"Now there's a thought." I received a nod in understanding.

Although there came another problem that I hadn't considered. "But with nobody here, how are we supposed to get anybody to open shop?"

"Well, if I can recall, we used to have a business tycoon by the name of Tom Nook. He was a smart, little raccoon. He provide goods and services for us, but after the money went down — naturally — he closed up the place, and his family went straight for the city."

"Gee…"

"And of course, with him as our main source of income, he kept all of the other businesses afloat because of how important he was to our community. So one by one, everyone followed after him and took off, too. Now the closest place that we can get anything from is the next town over. Which, by train, would already be a good while. But considering that hardly anybody stops over here anymore, walking really is the only option most of the time."

"Oh man." I sympathized at the hardships that these townsfolk were going through. I really had to come up with something, and fast.

"Well…" I mulled over all kinds of ideas in my head. "A big business like that may be a little hard to come by for right now. But what if, for now, we take up some good old recycling? You know, find some stuff that you guys don't use anymore and put those up for other people to take? Now the question would be where to put all of these things."

"Hmm, there _is_ an old building not too far from here that's pretty spacious," suggested the penguin, pointing to the direction over to his right. "Maybe we can clean the place up and use that?"

"That sounds like a good plan…" I nodded in agreement, scrawling that down quickly on the blank sheet of paper that I stared at for many hours. "Now from there, we'll need to figure out how to get some money out of that. Sure, the bartering system works great, but not for long. Eventually, we're going to run out of reasonably good things to give up for trade, so we still need a sufficient source of money to help us out with that…"

"Say, I know a friend or two who might actually be able to help us!" He called out suddenly, as if having an instant 'aha' moment. "They _live_ to take old things into new, and they can even pay good money for it too! I went to go visit them a while back when I was running over to the next town get some cold chili. I can go ask _them_!"

"You'd really do that?" I said in awe at his generosity, even knowing that he may have to trek quite a ways away.

"Anything to help us out. Besides, I always leave town more often than not, anyway." The penguin nodded unhesitatingly. "I saw this place when it was still… you know, alive. It was a wonderful place; everybody wanted to live here, human. And now, look at it. Seeing it now makes me want to help us out more than ever."

I knew exactly how he felt. I had the same thoughts as him. And that's what I came in here to do.

"Just give me a day or two, human. If this actually does work out, then we've really got some hope!" The penguin explained, then turning around to make his way out of the door. He was really going to do this. "For the meantime, try and think about things like you did earlier. That was good!"

He slid his aviator goggles from his forehead and over to his eyes, as if readying himself into a battle stance. Holding up a balled fist, he began to walk out. "To good times, once again!"

"Hey, uh actually, I didn't catch your name?" I realized this, stopping him momentarily.

"Boomer, at your service! See you soon!" He turned back at me and saluted. When I nodded, silently wishing him good luck, he then made a final wave goodbye and then stepped out, shutting the door behind him.

I clicked the pen in my hand closed, and I stared down at the few notes that I had quickly jotted down. I knew it wasn't much, but for now, this was a good start to get things back on track.

My first plan was to gather the remaining three and recruit some help to fix up the old building that Boomer had mentioned. And when I had gotten them all together, we made our way to the dusty shack.

The small, shanty building had two uneven roofs that curved inward towards each other. On the lower ceiling, to its right, was a rusted metal chimney. An old, dark green chalkboard stood adjacent to the door with nothing but smudges on it now.

After taking a good look at the exterior, we all made our way in to take a look at the inside.

"Well, this is what we have to work with for now." I said to them all, deciding to leave the door open to let some dust out. Nearby were several, wide windows that I walked over and opened to let in some air.

Upon closer inspection, I took note of the interior. Whoever this belonged to made it look a lot like an old tool shop. Wooden shelves and even some cabinets with plentiful drawers were perched on all corners, and worn, tarnished tools in a small red box could be found at the very end of the place.

"So here's the plan, guys." I looked back at the trio of animals. Having all eyes on me was going to become a norm, that's for sure. "While Boomer's out, we're all going to try the best we can to clean this place up!"

I then explained to them the same exact resolutions that I made while making good conversation with Boomer earlier, to the best of my ability. I had them all disperse and return to their homes, finding every little thing that they could around their rooms that they didn't need any more and to bring them back to either be traded off or even — hopefully soon — sold. Meanwhile, I stayed behind to fix up the formation of the wooden shelves and platforms, giving way into a good amount of rows that looked almost as if it were a museum waiting for its displays.

It took a bit work, but after some time, we had worked together and managed to make the place look at least somewhat presentable.

"Whew…" I wiped the sweat from my forehead, proof of a hard day's work. "Well, this is what we've got, guys!"

As we stood back and took several glances at the place that we had just worked to remake, and for that, we were proud.

"Good job, everyone!" I commended them all, knowing that without them, this wouldn't have been possible in the time that it took to complete. I observed them all, seeing the tired but content looks.

I suggested that we took a break before heading back home, as it was starting to get rather dark out. After a while, I dismissed them and had the three go back to their residences to rest up while I think up of more things to do and also, wait for Boomer, as we were unsure of his exact return. I heard Axel thank me and make his way out, who seemed more than ready to go home and sleep. Kiki offered to help put away everything that we no longer needed, and without even saying, she went ahead and started doing so.

I then saw that the teddy bear came up to me upon changing his mind of following suit. When I acknowledged him, he gave me a hug. "Thank you for doing this, mayor. You're a visionary leader."

"Aw." I grinned widely as my heart soared at his gratitude. "It was nothing, really."

After some time, he had finally pulled away. It was when he looked over at me that I had forgotten that I wanted to ask him something.

"Hey, so… I know that you thought that I was mayor earlier and all, but you know, what if somebody else had come up to you? I mean you didn't know me at all. I could've hurt you or done something bad to you. So why did you run up to me like that this morning?"

"That's easy, stuffin." He nodded, his cute little smile beaming now. "I saw you and didn't see a stranger. I saw somebody who I knew would save us from this dark place that we're in right now. I don't know what it is, exactly, but I knew it was instinct."

"Really?" I asked, seeing the same repeated gesture made in front of me.

"Or, who knows? Maybe I just trust people a little too easily." I heard a giggle as he said this. "But that's Stitches for 'ya!"

"Stitches…" I repeated, realizing that I was too preoccupied to ask him for his name earlier. I smiled back at him. "Thank you for everything today. Why don't you go home and get some rest?"

"Whatever you say, _mayor_!" The little cub joked. It's like they all knew that I wasn't used to that yet. Nonetheless, he waved goodbye and made his way out.

It was around this time that Kiki was about done, and she walked on back over to me to let me know that all was finished.

"Thank you, Kiki." I sighed happily as I caught her gaze. "It really is great seeing you again."

"And by chance too." She grinned. "What more if you ended up in another town instead of this one?"

I offered to walk her home as we closed up the place and made our way out. It was when we were about there when I realized that I was missing something — a place to stay.

"Gee, I hope it doesn't rain tonight." I grumbled as I stared up at the sky, scratching my head as I fumbled through options on where to seek shelter.

"Say, why don't you stay with _me_ for a while, kitty cat?" Kiki gleefully offered. "My place is always open for guests!"

"Really?" My eyes sparkled, although not at the thought of having to sleep outside but on the excitement of practically having a sleepover with one of my childhood friends.

"Of course!" She didn't hesitate, unlocking her door instantly and flipping the light on to her place before letting me in. "Why don't you go put your stuff over here?"

I saw her pat her hand on the nearby couch of her living room and laid down my only bag on it. Following a deep breath, I felt like I was back at home again. Her place hadn't really changed much since my last visit, and I think I liked it better that way.

"Want some tea, kitty cat?" Kiki asked as she pulled up a chair next to me.

I shook my head politely, thanking her. All I wanted to do was sit around and finally relax.

In the peace of each other's silence, however, I broke it after some time when I remembered a fond memory stick out to me. "Hey, remember when I was little and we used to sit around and stargaze outside of your house before going to sleep?"

"Oh of course!" The feline clapped lightly as she said this. "I _still_ do that sometimes."

"Well…" I smiled over at her. "What do you say we do it again? For old time's sake?"

Without say, she put down her tea cup, and she took my hand as we walked back out the door. I expected her to take a seat right outside of her place, but instead, she ended up taking me to a familiar place — the end of a nearby cliff just right by her house.

As we sat side-by-side, we dangled our feet at the edge, pointing out several patterns that the diamonds in the night sky had made. _It was just like the old times._

There were sounds of only crickets chirping and the wind blowing. It was then that I turned over to my long-time pal.

"Say, I never asked, but… what was the name of this town again?" I turned to my feline friend.

"Symphony, kitty cat." Kiki replied, smiling back at me.

" _Symphony_ …" I repeated softly, staring up at the starlit sky with my old friend.

* * *

 _ **WHEW**_. Hope that was good. Next update coming soon. :B


End file.
